What BAO & BUN STUDIO does

BAO & BUN STUDIO is a single-location Asian street food restaurant operating inside Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia at 1136 Arch St. Founded by Chef Sam, who brings over 20 years of experience from notable Philadelphia restaurants including Sampan, Buddakan, and Susanna Foo, the business specializes in bao buns (also known as Gua Bao or "Taiwanese Sandwich") with a fusion of Chinese tradition and Western sensibilities. The product portfolio spans 16 varieties of bao buns, two burrito SKUs, three chicken wing flavors, and three side items, all sold as party trays of 10+ pieces, plus walk-in individual portions at the market counter. The company uses no MSG in food preparation and offers vegetarian options.

The business operates through two revenue streams: (1) walk-in retail sales at the Reading Terminal Market counter targeting market visitors, tourists near the Convention Center, and convention attendees, and (2) drop-off catering orders placed online or by phone, requiring 48-hour advance notice, with delivery available within a 5-10 mile radius of Philadelphia. Pricing is uniform at $60 per party tray of 10 bao buns, $35 per wing tray, and lower-priced side trays. Distribution channels include the physical market location, a proprietary Wix-based online catering ordering system, phone ordering, and the Fooda corporate catering marketplace. Marketing is conducted through organic Facebook and Instagram, an email newsletter, earned media (Fox 29 "Behind the News: What's for Dinner?" and 6 ABC "FYI Philly" features), and Fooda platform visibility. The company holds an MBE (Minority Business Enterprise) certification from NMSDC and was named "Best of Fooda Philadelphia 2023."

Name

BAO & BUN STUDIO

Legal name

BAO & BUN STUDIO

Website

https://baobunstudio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BAO & BUN STUDIO is a single-location Asian street food restaurant inside Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market, serving bao buns and fusion fare to walk-in customers and event caterers, with delivery within the Philadelphia area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Asian Street-Food Restaurant

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Special Food Services (7223)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Cafe-Bakeries (Bakery + Coffee/Foodservice) (THAFAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Drop-Off Catering & Boxed Meals (HSACAGAB)

Keywords

• Asian street food
• Bao bun catering
• Rice bowl takeout
• Party tray catering
• Restaurant drop-off catering

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Retail Food Sales (Reading Terminal Market): Walk-in customers purchase bao buns and other menu items directly at the Reading Terminal Market location. This is a one-time transaction model for individual food purchases.
2. Catering Orders (Pickup & Delivery): Catering orders are placed online or by phone, with party trays of 10 bao buns each. Pickup is available at the Reading Terminal Market location. Delivery is offered within Philadelphia and surrounding areas with fees based on distance. Orders require 48 hours advance notice.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BAO & BUN STUDIO is a chef-driven Asian street-food restaurant located inside Philadelphia's Reading Terminal Market, selling steamed bao buns, burritos, wings, and side appetizers to walk-in customers. In addition to counter service, the company offers a catering drop-off service for events and corporate orders, with party trays, custom menus, and both pickup and delivery fulfillment.

Product overview

Bao & Bun Studio is an Asian street food restaurant located inside Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia, near the Philadelphia Convention Center. The company specializes in bao buns — steamed buns also known as Gua Bao or 'Taiwanese Sandwich' — featuring a fusion of classic Chinese tradition with Western sensibilities. The product portfolio centers on 16 varieties of Bao Buns (including Pork Belly, Cheesesteak, Soy Garlic Chicken, Mongolian Beef, Korean Fried Chicken, Curry Cauliflower, Kung Pao Cauliflower, Fried Avocado, Kung Pao Shrimp, Pulled Pork, General Tso's Chicken, Curry Chicken, Kung Pao Chicken, and Spicy Rock Shrimp), supplemented by Burritos (Jumbo Shrimp and Taiwanese Style Beef), appetizers (Asian Nachos, Scallion Pancakes, Sweet Cinnamon Buns), and Chicken Wings (Kung Pao, Soy Garlic, Korean). All menu items are available as party trays of 10 or more pieces for catering. The business operates as a casual restaurant with dine-in, pickup, and delivery service, and also offers a Catering Drop-Off Service for events of various sizes across the Philadelphia area, along with an Online Catering Ordering System for advance catering orders. The company does not use MSG in its food preparation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bao Bun Party Trays Steamed bao buns in multiple fusion flavors (e.g., Peking Philly, Duck Duck Bao, Korean Fried Chicken Bao, Crying Tiger beef, plus BBQ Pork, Chicken, Buffalo Chicken, General Tso, Spicy Chicken, Teriyaki Chicken, Sesame Chicken, Orange Chicken, Honey Garlic Chicken, and Vegetable), priced at $60 per party tray for catering. Sold individually at the counter and in party trays for catering. Target customers include event and corporate catering buyers as well as walk-in diners.
• Burrito Party Trays Asian-fusion burritos (e.g., Korean BBQ, Golden Curry, and Teriyaki Chicken varieties) sold individually at the counter and as party trays for catering. Aimed at walk-in customers looking for a quick handheld meal and at catering clients seeking fusion options.
• Asian Wings Party Trays Chicken wings in Asian-inspired flavors (Korean Fried Chicken, Honey Garlic, Hot Honey Garlic, Spicy Chicken, Teriyaki, and Sesame), sold individually at the counter and as party trays for catering. Targeted at walk-in diners and group catering orders.
• Side Appetizer Party Trays Asian-inspired side appetizers including Asian Fish Balls, Shrimp Toast, Vegan Wontons, and various dumplings, available individually at the counter and as party trays for catering. Designed for walk-in customers and as add-ons to catering orders.
• Catering Drop-Off Service Drop-off catering service for corporate and private events, offering party trays of bao buns, burritos, wings, and sides, with custom menus available. Includes all paper goods and serving utensils, pickup at Reading Terminal Market or delivery within a mileage-based fee zone (free for orders $200+). Orders placed via website, phone, or Fooda; 7-day advance ordering for custom menus. Aimed at event organizers, corporate offices, and private party hosts in the greater Philadelphia area.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 20 years of restaurant industry experience
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Junzi Kitchen: East Coast fast-casual chain serving bing (a flatbread cousin of bao), noodles, and rice bowls. Comparable on Cantonese-Northern Chinese street-food roots and scalable QSR positioning.
• Xi'an Famous Foods: New York-based Asian street-food chain specializing in hand-pulled noodles and small plates. Directly comparable on cuisine niche, counter-service format, and catering-friendly party-tray model.
• Honeygrow: Philadelphia-born Asian fast-casual chain offering stir-fry, noodles, and similar counter-style service. Closely comparable on geography, demographic, and price point.
• Bonchon: Asian (Korean) QSR franchise specializing in double-fried chicken wings. Directly comparable on menu overlap (soy garlic, Korean-style wings) and counter/tray catering format.
• Federal Donuts: Philadelphia QSR concept selling Korean-style fried chicken and donuts from small-format counters. Comparable on city, counter-service model, and Asian-adjacent fried chicken SKU overlap.
• Wow Bao: Chicago-founded Asian fast-casual chain whose core product is steamed bao buns with global airport and kiosk distribution. The closest direct competitor to Bao & Bun's hero SKU and counter/tray model.

Broad incumbents

• Din Tai Fung: Global Taiwanese xiaolongbao and steamed-bun specialist. Comparable on Taiwanese bao as the signature product, though positioned as full-service casual dining rather than market-stall counter service.

Emerging players

• Kung Fu Tea: Taiwanese-origin chain offering bubble tea and Asian street-food snacks. Comparable Taiwanese street-food heritage and counter-service format, with broader beverage focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/baobunstudio
• Instagraminstagram.com/baobunstudio

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BAO & BUN STUDIO